1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a kitchen appliance having a slicing cylinder arranged rotatably in a housing.
2. Description of Background Art
A kitchen appliance of the above-mentioned type is available on the market as a grater for cheese. Similar appliances for slicing food have been known for many years. In the known kitchen appliance the pusher limits the feeding chamber towards the side opposite the slicing cylinder and further towards the front and towards the back. The feeding chamber is filled through an opening in a front wall of the feeding chamber This opening always remains open during use of the appliance. Care must therefore be taken to ensure that the opening points upwards at all times during use in order that no material to be sliced falls out of it.
The known appliance is particularly suitable for grating cheese. If one wishes to slice onions, for instance, in the appliance, then there are serious shortcomings. The most serious shortcoming would be that pieces of onion would be pressed by the slicing cylinder against the rear wall located in the direction of rotation of the slicing cylinder and would pass into the gap between said wall and the slicing cylinder. This would cause a jamming, as a result of which further pressing down of the pusher would be made more difficult or impossible.
A further disadvantage of the appliance which would become apparent when slicing onions is that the opening of the feeding chamber cannot be closed. As a result, when slicing onions, substances which are extremely irritating to the eyes can escape, which is unpleasant. Furthermore, the appliance cannot be used for storing a partially sliced onion because it is not sealed off from the outside.